Gluten Hates Me

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Easy…and gluten free? PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

Most gluten free recipes seem like a laundry list of obscure ingredients. Gluten free baking alone always requires multiple flours and starches and powders. The first GF cookbook I bought was depressing. Each recipe was at least 13 ingredients…seriously, the shortest recipe in the book is 13 ingredients long!! So over the past year of my gluten free life, I had been content making up my own recipes, re-creating fellow bloggers’ recipes, and adjusting non-gluten free recipes. I would always browse the cookbook section, and I even bought a second GF cookbook which I’ve never used. I just could never find a GF cookbook that seemed practical.

Chef Robert Landolphi doesn’t actually “hate gluten”; his wife does. In the year 2000, Rob’s wife Angela was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. As a fellow gluten-hater, she admits that there is nothing that could taste good enough to make her willingly ingest gluten again. And I can totally relate to that! My friends and family will often question me about how I have managed to never “cheat”, but not having an autoimmune disorder themselves, I tell them they couldn’t imagine how bad it feels for me to ingest gluten. Yes, I miss mozzarella sticks so much that my mouth actually waters when I think about them, but I would never in a million years eat one.

So when I was contacted a few weeks ago about reviewing a new gluten free cookbook, I of course said YES! When I received the email I googled the book Gluten Free Everyday Cookbook, and read all about Chef Rob and the purpose behind his cookbook. I was so touched by the intent of the book. He created the recipes and even dedicated the book to his wife!! Romantic!! My fiancé Parrish is the exact same. He is a self-proclaimed “gluten lover” (he even jokes about starting his own blog titled Gluten Loves Me), but he experiments in the kitchen…for me.

Rob trained at Johnson and Wales, so I knew the recipes would be great, but I was worried about them being difficult. But they couldn’t be easier!! This cookbook really is for every day. The recipes are simple! Umm…Vanilla Cookie Piecrust with only 4 ingredients!!?! Yes!

Ready for the best part?! The kind folks behind the publicity for the book have offered to giveaway a copy to one lucky Gluten Hates Me reader!!

Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook GIVEAWAY

To enter: Leave me a comment or shoot me an email with your contact info (first name & email) and which of these two recipes you would most like to try: Smoked Gouda Polenta or Tri-Spiced Onion Rings with Horseradish sauce. Enter before August 1st at 12noon!